The top floor and roof structure of the Silvanus Hotel, a four-star hotel, burnt down in March. The restoration began with a HUF 60 million contribution from the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ). On the weekend of the fire, 143 of its 151 rooms were occupied by guests and the hotel was hosting an international conference.

The hotel is one of the most visited in the region, making it an essential firm as it makes up 46% of Visegrád’s domestic accommodation turnover, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal. In 2023, four-star hotels provided 34% of the region’s turnover and 57% of its accommodation revenues.

The government has been financially supporting the tourism sector’s recovery after the pandemic. It also encouraged market competitiveness by six-point sector support package and an energy efficiency improvement program.

“The damaged hotel is one of the most important flagship operators in the region. Hotel Silvanus, for example, accounted for more than one fifth (22%) of all Visegrad overnight stays last year and 4% of the total domestic accommodation in the region. Its early restoration is in the interest of the sector,” says László Könnyid, CEO of MTÜ.

The Silvanus Hotel won the Hotel of the Year award in 2018 and was the first “green hotel” in the country. It has over 100 employees and provides work opportunities for families with its tourist attractions, restaurants and shops nearby.

“Even in this period of no revenue, we want to keep our workforce,” says Árpád Lantos, the hotel owner. “That is why we are grateful for all the help. The help from the MTÜ will allow us to not only restore and develop the hotel faster, but more efficiently, and to go further in making the operation greener,” he adds.

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